There is no such thing as boredom on the Big Island of Hawaii. Follow your passion for swimming into the warm waters of Hilo Bay or among the dolphins on the Kona Coast. Delve into ancient Hawaiian history or watch as Mother Nature creates more land. Get out and explore this multifaceted island.
Snorkeling Kealakekua Bay
Join one of the snorkeling or scuba diving tours for a trip to the Kealakekua Bay Marine Sanctuary. Get in the water amid pods of leaping spinner dolphins, curious green sea turtles and schools of tropical fish. If you prefer to venture off on your own, rent a kayak and pedal out on to the bay and delve into a bit of Hawaiian history. This is the place where Captain Cook met his end and where a tiny bit of Hawaiian soil still belongs to the British. Swim or kayak out to the monument that bears his name. A permit is needed to land at the site.
Explore a Volcano
Stop at the entrance of the visitor center at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to see where the lava is currently flowing. Park personnel will let you know the safest viewing points. Trails lead around the main crater, Halemaumau, and through lava fields created by several different eruptions. Step down into the Thurston Lava Tube, created by an underground flow of molten rock. Take the Chain of Craters Road down to where the lava fields meet the sea. Depending on where the lava is flowing, you might see jets of steam and clouds above where the molten rock enters the sea.
Visit Historic Kailua-Kona Town
Once the summer home of King Kamehameha the Great, Kailua-Kona is the largest town on the Big Island's western shore. Visit the remains of the king's place of worship, the Ahu'ena Heiau on the grounds of the King Kamehameha Hotel. Tour the Mokuaikaua Church that dates to 1837. Rent a bike and pedal around the city or take a longer ride up the coast toward the beaches of Waikoloa.
Explore Ancient History
On the north Kohala Coast, archaeologists have uncovered a 600-year-old Hawaiian fishing village. Take the one-mile trail that leads through Lapakahi State Historic Park. Start at road level and work your way down past remnants of Hawaiian homes and old fishing canoes until you get to the ocean. Stop at the visitor center and learn how to play "Hawaiian checkers" using black and white stones and a larger flat rock with drilled marker holes. On your way back to Kona, stop at the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site. Take the trail down to the massive lava structure built by King Kamehameha the Great before he united the Hawaiian Islands.
Follow a Garden Path
In the early 1900s the Japanese plantation workers were honored with the building of the Queen Liliuokalani Gardens. Named after Hawaii's last queen, the pathways of this authentic Japanese garden take you over stone and wood bridges, around ponds and past stone pagodas. Bring your swimsuit and cross Banyan Drive to Hilo Bay for a refreshing swim.
Member Comments